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The Emerging Roles of Rad51 in Cancer and Its Potential as a Therapeutic Target

Ziyi Wang1,2, Renxiang Jia1, Linlin Wang1

  • 1Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shenyang Chest Hospital & Tenth People's Hospital, Shenyang, China.

Frontiers in Oncology
|July 25, 2022
PubMed

Insights

DNA repair defects are hallmarks of cancer. Rad51 recombinase is crucial for homologous recombination, and its upregulation in tumors impacts metabolism, metastasis, and drug resistance, affecting patient prognosis.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Defects in DNA repair pathways are key features of cancer development.
  • Genomic instability, driven by faulty DNA repair, contributes to tumorigenesis and therapeutic resistance.
  • Rad51 recombinase is vital for homologous recombination, a critical DNA double-strand break repair mechanism.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce the structure and expression patterns of Rad51.
  • To elucidate the role of Rad51 mediators in homologous recombination.
  • To discuss Rad51's involvement in tumor metabolism, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance.

Main Methods:

  • Review of Rad51 structure and expression.
  • Analysis of Rad51 mediators in homologous recombination.
  • Discussion of Rad51's functional roles in cancer progression and treatment response.

Main Results:

  • Rad51 is upregulated in many solid tumors, correlating with poor prognosis.
  • Rad51 plays a critical role in tumor metabolism, metastasis, and resistance to various therapies.
  • Key Rad51 mediators are involved in the homologous recombination pathway.

Conclusions:

  • Rad51 is a significant factor in cancer progression and therapeutic outcomes.
  • Understanding Rad51's function is crucial for developing novel cancer treatment strategies.
  • Rad51's role extends to tumor metabolism, metastasis, and resistance to chemotherapy and PARP inhibitors.
Keywords:
DNA repairPARP inhibitorRad51prognosistherapy resistance

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